The present invention relates generally to reels for storing, transporting and dispensing great lengths of flexible materials such as cable, rope, paper, foil and film. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reel core that may be selectively separated along a joint and substantially developed onto a planar surface for improved storage and transport density.
Flexible materials such as paper foil, film, cable and rope are produced in indefinitely long lengths by substantially continuous processes. Consequently, reels comprising cylindrical cores or drums secured coaxially between opposite end flanges are the industrial standard for devices to organize, store, transport and dispense such materials. Such reels are generally constructed with axially spaced wood side plates or flanges. Such flanges may be of any structural material but plywood or crossed laminations of wood shiplap are most frequently used. The reel core is axially compressed, by threaded tie rods, for example, between parallel, oppositely facing flange surfaces.
For large, bulk material storage reels, the core is usually made of wound paper or of wood staves. In either case, the core material is humidity responsive and produces dimensional damages as a consequence of humidity changes. Wound paper cores, although providing a smooth outer surface and a strong dense wall annulus, are particularly vulnerable to humidity change. Water absorbed from a humid atmosphere can produce swelling and delamination. Even relatively small quantities of absorbed water can sufficiently weaken a wound paper reel core to cause an internal collapse of the core wall under constrictive compression stress. When the wound material supported by the core is stress sensitive such as fiber optic cable, core compression failures are unacceptably expensive.
Some reel embodiments having wood stave cores may be disassembled after the stored material is removed to consolidate the flange and stave components for more dense and efficient storage or return transport. However, the labor time required for reassembly frequently defeats the savings purpose.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a moisture impervious reel core.
Another object of the invention is provision of a reel core that may be quickly developed onto a planar surface for compact storage and transport.
Also an object of the invention is an efficient reel recycling method.
A further object of the invention is a sturdy, moisture insensitive reel having minimal assembly components that may be quickly assembled and disassembled.
An additional object of the invention is provision of a material storage reel having essentially flat, dense components.